Nicola Sturgeon pledged to improve gender equality and increase opportunities for women as the penultimate weekend of campaigning for the Holyrood election got under way.
The First Minister and SNP leader spoke as she joined women from across the country to highlight her party’s manifesto commitments aimed at breaking down gender barriers.
Ms Sturgeon – the first woman to lead the Scottish Government – said she wanted every girl to know that “if they work hard they will have the same opportunities as anybody else”.
Ms Sturgeon unveiled the SNP’s manifesto on Wednesday in front of some 1,400 party members in Edinburgh and described the policy package as her “job application” for the role of first minister.
On Saturday, she highlighted the support she said a re-elected SNP government would provide to women in Scotland.
The manifesto includes pledges to encourage more girls and women to study STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) related subjects to help fill skills gaps in key economic sectors.
The party pledges to legislate for 50:50 gender equality in public-sector boardrooms by 2020.
They also vow to consider a system of penalties for local authorities that have not settled outstanding equal pay claims, or are still not paying equal pay, by April next year.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We will double free childcare to help parents return to work and we will increase the numbers of people earning the living wage – helping many women on low pay.
“Women are increasingly visible in public life – but we want to break down barriers even further and ensure that women have equal opportunities and receive equal pay for their work.
“We’ll take action to increase women’s representation, to support female entrepreneurs and put pressure on any local authorities that are yet to settle outstanding equal pay claims.
“I want to continue the incredible progress made by previous generations – and I hope that the next generation of women grow up in a world where the fight for equality has been won.”
